Pipe and rod spider



May 3 1927.

1,626,826 B. F. HINIKER PIPE AND ROD SPIDER Filed April 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 5 Bergjazaain F. Hiniker' ATTORNEY May 3 1927. 1,626,826

B. F. HINIKER PIPE AND ROD SPIDER Filed April 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet? INVENTOR Bezjanaizq 1 1 Hi)? iker BY QWQMAJKL ATTORNEY fPatente'd May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES BENJAMIN F. HINIKER, OF TAFT', CALIFORNIA.

PIPE AND ROD SPIDER.

Application filed April 3, 1925. Serial No. 20,392.

This invention relates to improvements in spiders used in connection with well drilling operations to run and pull tubing or rods from the well casing, the present device particularly representing an improvement over my Patent No. 1,375,964 dated April 26th, 1921, and on my co-pending application Serial No. 659,293 filed August 25th, 1923.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a spider so constructed that it can be detachably connected to the well casing while the tubing is being pulled so as to prevent vertical movement of the spider; to provide means for positively guiding and centering the pipe or rod into place between the slips; to interposc yieldable means in the slip operating mechanism such that the possibility of the shearing of the arms or pins of said mechanism is prevented and the slips may yield to permit the raising of the the spider or necessitating thehand manipulation of the operatin means; a yieldable structure which, while functioning as above, will instantly lock about the pipe upon the downward movement of the latter; a device which has removable gripping liners in the slips to enable a single size of the spider to be used with different sizes of rod or tubing; a spider arranged to be easily raised and lowered and otherwise manipulated; and one in which the weight is reduced to a minimum without lessening the efiiciency or sacrificing strength.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedinglly effective for the purposes for which it is esigned.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one side of the spider.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the other s1de of the spider.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal side section of the device. i Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Big. 4..

Fig. 6 is a top plan of a modified form of spider.

pipe without raising I Referring now more particularly to the characters-of reference marked on the'drawings, the numeral 1 denotes the base of rectangular form and having a central opening or cavity 2 from top to'bottom, the end Walls 3' of which have a converging taper from the top down.

Horizontal flanges 4 extend all about the base at the top and bottom so as to enable the same to be made as light as ossible without lessening the rigidity an strength 'of the structure.

The bottom of the base proper is flat so as to enable it to rest on a plane surface, and projecting downwardly from the base invertical and symmetrical alinement with the cavity 2 is a hollow extension 5 formed as a number of steps of gradually reducing slze, these steps being threaded as at 6 to fit various standard sizes of well casing and the like. This extension is formed integral with the base as shown. One side of the base is open to the cavity 2 and to the interior of the extension 5 from top to bottom as shown at 7. the width of this opening beinggreater than the diameter of any pipe or rod to be handled by the spider.

Fitting into the cavity 2 are opposed slips 8 having substantially semi-circular grooves 9 from top to bottom thereof on their adjacent faces. The grooves are deeper than the normal bore of the slips from the top to a point short of the bottom leaving a ledge 10 at the lower end, as shown in Fig. 3. This deep portion of the groove also terminates short of the outer or adjacent faces of the slips to form vertical ridges 11, as shown in Fig. 4. This deep groove arrangement forms in each slip a seat for a removable liner or bushing 12 having horizontal teeth 13 throughout its interior periphery. The liner, as will be evident, is held from downward movement by the ledge 10 and from rotative movement by reason of its dove-tail fitwith the side ridges 11. From the inner periphery of the ledge 10 the slips taper outwardly to their lower ends, as shown at 14.

The liner in one slip is held from vertical I movement by a removable cap screw 15 or the like set in the top of the slip and overhanging the liner. The liner in the other slip is held from withdrawal by a plate 16 removably bolted on top of the, correspondin slip and also overhanging the liner. orizontal tguide arms 17 are formed with this plate an project outwardly from the'plane of the bore of the slip wi th a diverging curvatureor flare on their inner faces to a point overhanging the othershp when the slips are adjacent each other, the outer ends of said guide arms being spaced a art a distance greater than the width of t e slips or so that said arms overhang the side wa s of the base outwardly of the.

a taper or slopeconforming to that of the end walls 3 of the cavity, with which walls said crossheads engage when the slips are in the pipe holding osition as shown in Fig. 3. This constructlon, as will be ev dent, tends to cause the slips to move toward each other when a pipe is hanging therein, and thus a firm grip on the pipe will always be maintained. j To operate the slips I provide the-following structure: Projecting from the opposite ends of the base are brackets 19 arranged as transversely spaced pairs. J ournaled in each pair of brackets is a shaft 20 to which one end of an arm 21 is fixed. The other ends of the arms are pivoted on to ears 22 provided on the slips above the cross-heads 18. A bellcrank 23 is fixed onto one end of one of the shafts 20, one arm of the bellcrank normally projecting upwardly and being formed as a handle 24. Connected to the other arm of the bellcrank is one end of a rod 25 which projects, with a sliding fit, into a tubular member 26, the other end of'which is connected to the outer end of an arm 27 fixed onto the other shaft 20.

The end of the rod 25 inside the member 26 has a head 28, a stiff helical string 29 being placed about the rod between the head and the outer end of the tubular member.

The bellcrank and the connecting elements between the same and the slips are so arranged that when thehandle is ullel away firom the spider both slips will be raised simultaneously and to the same extent from their seat in the base to a spread position at a slope-to each other, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. '3. When the slips are in such' a position their lower ends are at least as far apart as the width of the side openings 7, while the ends of the arms 17 are then back of the vertical plane of the adjacent side of said opening. The spring 29 is vso arranged that it exerts a force tending to hold one of the arms 21 down and hold the respective slip in a corresponding position without being able to actually impart other than a limited movement in this direction. While the spring is still enough not to inlarly once the ro terfere with the simultaneous movement of the slips when the handle is operated to spread the slips, at the same time if the spider is held against upward movement and a rod is being drawn up, said rod or its coupling can pass through the liners without binding and without breaking any part.

This is because in the first place the slips can yield away from each other owing to the presence of the yieldable spring in the otherwise rigid connections. Also the sides of the slips below the liners being tapered,

the rod coupling can enter the liners without is only necessary to operate the mechanism by hand to fully spread the slips when first p acing the same about a rod and when finally removing the spider from the rod.

When the slips are moved to their desired spread position further sliding movement is then prevented by a stop arm 30 mounted in connection with one of the arms 21 and arranged to then abut against the adjacent face of the'base.

When the slips are spread apart and a rod is passed in through the opening 7, the adjacent guide arm 17 will, with the converging movement of the slips, immediately engage said rod, and the latter will be positively moved into centralized relation with the liners, instead of possibly becoming caught between the adj acent'flat faces of the slips. This is because, as shown and previously described, the ends of the arms 17 lie in vertical transverse planes outwardly of the sides of the sli s and base-cavity. Simid has passed the faces of the slips adjacent the slde opening 7, any tendency for it to swing to the opposite side of the base and become caught between the other fiat faces of the slips is prevented by the corresponding guide arm 17. Thus any possibility of the rod becoming jammed out of its proper location is prevented.

Rigid rods 31 or the like extend between the brackets 19 at the outer ends thereof serving as bails orhandles for enabling the spider to be readily coupled up to a raising means.

Closure means for the side opening 7 is provided in the form of a horizontal swinging bolt 32 pivoted at one end onto the base at one side of said opening,'the opposite end of the bolt seating in a slot 33 formed in the base on the opposite side of the opening.

A removable pin 34 is mounted in lugs 35 on the base and is tpositioned to pass in front of the free-end o the bolt, when the latter is then seated in the slot, as shown in Fig. 2. A vertical guide member 36 is fixedon the bolt midway of the widthof the opening 7, having a convex curvature relative. to

the cavity 2. V

This member 36, when the bolt 32 is being swung closed, abuts against a rod being inserted through the side opening and aids in forcing said rod into its proper position between the s ips.

In Fig. 6 have shown three slips 8 with individual lines 12 therein mounted in a the present and preferred construction ofv the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined b the appended claims.

Having thus descri ed my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pipe spider comprising a base, slips mounted in connection with the base and adapted to seat therein in opposed relation to each other, arms pivoted at one end onto the base beyond the slips and at the other end onto the slips, connecting means between the arms arranged to cause the latter to turn in oppositedirections on their pivots with a longitudinal movement of the connecting means, and spring means interposed in sa1 connecting means arranged. to allow the arms limited turnln movement in a sl praising direction whie resistingsuch movement.

2. A pipe spider comprising a base having a cavity from top to bottom and a side opening communicating with said cavity, opposed slips mounted in connection with the base and adapted to seat in the cavity inclose relationship with each .otherto engage a pipe, means for spreading the slips-to enable a pipe to be moved into the cavit through the side opening, and means attac ed to one of the slips 'for enga 'ng the pipe as the slips are moved toget er and causing said pipe to be centralized relative to the slips.

3A pi spider-Comprising a base having a cavity om topto' Bottom and a side open- .ing communicating with said cavity, 0

" posed slips ,mounted in connection with e base and adapted to seat in the cavity in close relationship with each other to engage a pipe, means for spreading the slips to enable a pipe to. be moved into the cavity through the side opening, and guide arms mounted on top of one of the slips and projecting in front of the same in outwardly flaring relation, the outer end of the arm nearest the side opening of the base clearing the vertical plane of the adjacent edge of the opening when the slips are spread apart.

4. A pipe spider comprising a base having a cavity from top to bottom and a side opening communicating with said cavity, opposed slips mounted in connection with the ase and adapted to seat in the cavit to engage a pipe, means for spreading t e slips to enable a pipe to be moved into the cavity through the side opening, a swinging closure for the side opening pivotally mounted on the base on one side of said opening, and

a vertical member mounted -on said closure for engagement with a pipebein inserted through said side opening when t e closure is swung clear of the same.

5. A pipe spider comprising a base having a cavity from top to bottom and a side opening communicating with said cavity, op-

osed slips mounted in connection with the rise and adapted to seat in the cavityto engage a pipe, means for spreading the slips to enable a pipe to be moved into the cavity through the side opening, a swinging closure for the side opening ivotally mounted on the base on one side 0 said 0 ening, and a vertical guide member mounte on the inner face of the closure and having a convex curvature relative to the base cavity."

6. A pipe spider comprising a base, slips mounted in connection with the base and adaptedto seat therein in opposed relation to each other and to then engage a pipe,

hand means including a single lever for spreading the slips to disengage .the pipe,

the sidewalls of thecavity when the slips are adjacent each other'but being then clear of the end walls of said cavity, said end walls having an upwarddivergence, projections on the opposite ends of the slips above the bottoms thereof for enga ing the end walls of the cavity when the s ips are adjacent each other, and means for raising the slips so that said, face of the cavity.

. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BENJAMIN F. HINIKER.

projections clear the upper I 

